CURIOSITIES

These very famous bands initially had another name

When a band becomes famous, the name by which everyone knows it may not have been the first choice in the initial phase of the band's life.

In fact, in addition to the band members, one of the most important decisions for a band is the name to be used. The name is the first detail that represents the band; it must be impressive, it must mean something and it must remain in the hearts and memories of the fans.  

Many famous bands, which have now become historical, opted for a different name at the beginning of their career: here are some of the most famous examples.

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The bands that were originally called differently.
The name by which everyone knows a band may not have been the first choice in the initial phase of the band's life. In fact, one of the most important decisions for a band is precisely what name to use. The name is the first detail that represents the band; it must be impressive, it must mean something and it must remain in the hearts and memories of the fans. Many famous bands, which have now become historical, opted for a different name at the beginning of their career: here are some of the most famous examples.
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Pearl Jam (Mookie Blaylock)
The first designation of Pearl Jam was Mookie Blaylock. "Mookie Blaylock" was the name of a basketball player who was then playing on the basketball team New Jersey Nets: of course, for commercial reasons, this appellation could no longer be used by the time the band started to become successful.
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Black Sabbath (The Polka Tulk Blues Band)
The first name of the future Black Sabbath, in 1968, was The Polka Tulk Blues Band. Before choosing the current one, the band had tried to change it to Earth, but there was already another English music group with that name.
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Pink Floyd (Tea Set)
Initially, Pink Floyd adopted several names: Screaming Abdabs, Leonard's Lodgers and finally Tea Set. However, the band discovered that at the same venue where they were to perform a concert, another group called Tea Set would play the day after their performance. To avoid confusion, Syd Barrett created the name Pink Floyd as a tribute to two American bluesmen, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
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RHCP (Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem)
As told by the singer of Chili Peppers, Anthony Kiedis, the first name of band was Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. This time-consuming and complex choice has a specific motivation: according to Kiedis, the name was meant to be majestic and chaotic, as was the kind of music his band aspired to put forth.
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Queen (Smile)
As the writer Mark Hodkinson tells in the book "Queen: The Early Years", early in their career Brian May and Roger Taylor played in a band called Smile. When the group's vocalist and bassist, Tim Staffell, decided to quit, May and Taylor founded a new group, with Freddie Mercury, that chose the name Queen.
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Radiohead (On a Friday)
The first name of Radiohead was On a Friday. The band, which had formed in their high school years, used to rehearse on Fridays, and that is why that name was chosen. After band joined the record company EMI Records, the latter asked to choose another name.
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Green Day (Sweet Children)
When Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt had started playing in 1986, they used the name Sweet Children. The name was later changed to Green Day when, under contract with Lookout! Records, the musicians did not want confusion with the name of another band.
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Maroon 5 (Kara's Flower)
It was Adam Levine who founded Kara's Flower, of which Levine was guitarist and singer, in 1994. The group recorded only one album, "The Fourth World", but it was a failure. For this reason, band disbanded, but a few years later it was refounded with the same members, this time under the name Maroon 5: the only change from Kara's Flower was James Valentine.
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Linkin Park (Hybrid Theory)
When Chester Bennington was contacted to audition with his future band, the latter was called Xero. In 1999, Xero changed its name to Hybrid Theory, and then to Lincoln Park, which was to be the final name. However, the domain lincolnpark.com had already been purchased. Therefore, not having enough money, the band decided to opt for the name 'Linkin Park'.
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Led Zeppelin (The New Yardbirds)
The first name of the historic band was The New Yardbirds, a temporary name used by Jimmy Page at the end of a tour in Scandinavia. The name was derived from the previous Yardbirds, disbanded a few months earlier, of which Jimmy Page himself was a member.
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Kiss (Wicked Lester)
As Gene Simmons tells in his book "Kiss and Make-Up", two years before forming the original band, he and Paul Stanley were playing in a rock band from New York called Wicked Lester. Shortly thereafter, from the ashes of that band arose the future Kiss and the rest is history.
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